The Irish One

I slide my mobile into the back pocket of the grey skinny jeans I had 'borrowed' from Charlie before pulling on my black Vans. Since it was raining, I went with a beanie instead of my usual snap-back, snatched my wallet and headphones off my bed, and headed out.
I never locked my door; one being that everyone in the building knew my dad and I; second, my dad always forgets his keys- me being out at the skate park kinda leaves him screwed. So unless someone was going to raid my stash of American candy and old playstation games there really wasn't anything exciting.
Going out for coffee at nine in the evening was nothing out of the norm for me. What IS, however, was meeting up with five complete strangers who somehow managed to get themselves lost, accidentally found me kneeling in the gravel on the side of an abandoned highway and decided to wing it and ask the lunatic for directions.
And now, here I was, for the third time in twenty-four hours, taking a stroll through the rain- only this time my destination wasn't desolation, but coffee.
The little bell above the door clanged as I entered the nearly deserted shop. The only table occupied was by a group of elderly gents off in the far corner. The place was almost dead, like, almost literally. Whether the other boys would actually show up was beside the point to me. They weren't really the kind of crowd that I roll with, anyhow. No offense, but I did not do fem-boys, sorry. I could tell by the cleanliness of their shoes they're more than likely not worn more than twice.
Shame.
And to be honest, I'd've actually prefered that none of them showed up. I didn't walk there for them, I went because I needed a caffeine fix.
Strictly a caffeine fix.
As I approached the counter, I felt someone's eyes on me. You know that moment when you just know someone is staring at you? Yeah, I had that feeling and I wasn't liking it one bit.
I brushed that feeling aside, as I stood at the register. A bored looking teen sat behind it as she casually flipped through a fashion magazine- in other words known as my cousin, Elizabeth. And when she finally did sense my presence, she rolled her eyes and scoffed.
"Honestly, Avaline, if I didn't already know you I would've mistaken you for a blond fetus Beiber. You do realize that several girls from my Polo team have asked me if you were my 'Boyfriend'. Seriously, your cross-dressing is beginning to interfere with my social life."
"And Hello to you too." I sassed, shoving my hands into the pockets of my jeans, which were beginning to sag a bit due to not wearing a belt.
Sharing clothes with your best mates sadly have a couple downsides.
"Avaline, what are you trying to pr-"
"I didn't come here to be criticized," I muttered.
Elizabeth looked me over before pulling out a paper cup from a cabinet. "Usual?" she said.
"Yeah buddy," I grinned.
"Never change, do you?" Elizabeth chuckled.
"Hey, what can I say," I shrugged. "I'm a person of simple taste."
She only chuckled as set set work on my coffee. Most of the time I wonder how did I possess the self control to restrain myself from murdering her, but times like this (as short-lived they may be) She was sort of alright. Eli was the only girl I have ever met that I
a) haven't gotten in a fight with and
b) am able to somehow tolerate- and that is saying A LOT.
I still felt their eyes burning holes in the back of my head and it was really starting to tick me off. When Eli handed me my drink, I turned around to nearly collide into a body.
"Sorry," I murmured, side stepping to get by.
"Excuse me, are you A.J?" The man said.
Okay, now I was officially getting creeped out.
I Furrowed my brows, I gave him a shrug. "Depends on who's asking." I replied. I'm not normally rude to old people, but this was ridiculous, and I was also wet and cold from my walk, you can not really blame me.
"It's me, your best friend, remember?" The man wiggled his brows as he took off the shades that covered those dark blue eyes I remember seeing earlier. "Then no, I'm not." I responded sassily.
I mentally face palmed. Of course they were already here, overhearing the conversation I had with my cousin.
"I actually thought it was hilarious." Louis said.
"What?"
"Now that I think about it, you sound a bit like fetus-Beib's."
I locked my jaw and made a mental note to stop talking to myself.
Louis motioned for me to follow him back to the table where the rest were sitting. All of them had shades and hats.
"So... are you all stoned, or what?" I said, taking a seat at the end.
"No, not yet." smirked the raven haired boy, Zayn.
"You know, we never properly thanked you for helping us," began Harry. I shrugged.
"Don't thank me yet, you're all still here... sadly." I said.
"Wow, that hurt, A.J. Right here." Zayn pointed to his chest as he fake sniffled.
"Anyway," Liam spoke up, rolling his eyes at his friends, "How much do we owe you?"
Okay, what?
"Bro, what are you talking about?" I responded. All five of them seemed to shift slightly in their seats, like how one would when they expect to hear bad news.
"You k-know, to keep quiet and-"
I stopped the dark-haired boy shook my head warily. "Okay, I don't know what the fuck you all think I am or whatever, but paying me to not tell anyone where you are... like, are you all running from the cops or is this some sort of joke?"
The boys exchanged glances between one another, like the were silently arguing back and forth before the seemed to simultaneously relax.
"So... Aj, does that stand for anything or..." Liam randomly said. I shook my head.
"Nope, just Aj."
"So, how long have you lived here?" Began Harry.
"Since my fourth year of primary" I said.
"From........?"
"The states." I finished for him
"So.......... that accent is from what part?" Louis inquired. He leaned forwards with his elbows resting on the edge of the table.
"What accent?" I asked, automatically becoming defensive.
"Never mind." Zayn jumped in and changed the topic "You skate?" My ears perked up when I heard what he said.
"Hell yeah and you?"
"Most definitely. I've been riding for as long as I can remember." I was starting to like this Zayn kid. He wasn't the typical pretty-boy I thought he was. He actually seemed to be almost the exact opposite. (I was to be proven partially wrong later on)
"So long board or skate board?"
This is a crucial question for a skater, it is the question that can make friends or start rivals. "I do both." I shrugged. Zayn grinned even more "you?"
"Skateboarding and dirt-biking."
"Well Z, I think this could work." I nodded in approval. Then an exasperated sigh was heard from Harry's end of the table.
"Okay, could we please get a different table?"
"Aw, what's the problem hazza?" Cooed Frindge kid.
"This table isn't meant for a tall person like me. Its practically on my lap." The boys shrugged, nodding in nonchalant agreement, but I said nothing. I was 5'6". flipping my bangs away from my eyes. I stated, "I think its fine." The boys narrowed their eyes with cheeky grins dancing across their lips.
"You can't even touch the ground, can you?" Smirked Louis as he slid out of the booth.
I scowled, then averted my gaze to hide my reddening cheeks. "I can to."
"I call b.s." blonde-boy gleefully smirked.
"Whatever," I muttered as I stood up with them and moved over to the bar stools by a window. "At least I deal with it, princess.".
I say back as we took our seats.
"Burned, Styles." Fringe boy grins. The Curley top rolls his eyes, unlocks his phone and begins typing away at it. We fell into an uncomfortable silence after that.
. . . . . .
The six of us conversed for a bit longer, Eli had gone to the back to start closing up shop for the night by this point. Our family, which is on John's side,had owned the place, so they didn't mind if I stayed after closing- not that I really wanted to, though. Not with them, anyway.
At around ten-thirty, the one named Liam had grown suddenly silent, and gave the other boys a weird look. I didn't really think much of it until the one I had come to call Haz stood up and said, "I'll be back. I'm gonna use the toilet." And I mean, that isn't much of a big deal, until the raven-haired one slid out of the booth with an excuse something along the lines of "I forgot m' wallet in the car". Blonde slides out with him saying he had to take a call from his manager. To top this, Louis (The only name I had come to remember for longer than five minutes) got up to go retrieve the bill, yet walked right out the door.
Now it was the two of us, the boy with the buzzed hair and I. He wasn't very talkative. I sipped my coffee contently while staring out the window. Freckelton always had unpredictable weather, and the fact that it was sunny this morning did not help much with the situation.
"So, Aj, may I ask for a favour?" Liam asks politely. I nod, part of me randomly wonders where the others have gone. I mean, how long does it take to use the toilet and wash your hands? "I understand that you do not know us nor had we a proper greeting, but the lads and I need a place to stay for the night. This weather has the roads flooded and there is no way it will clear by tonight." I cocked a brow, unsure of what to say. What will my dad say about this? "Please, we will pay for our stay, charge us how much you want, I-"
"Whoah, wait, what? First off, what is with you five and money, and second off, what about the hotel here in town?"
Liam situated himself once more. He leaned his elbows on the birch-coloured table top and with a shrug, he sighed. "We've already tried there, its under renovations, the few room they have were taken."
So these five are strangers, right? Your mum or dad has probably taught you all 'stranger-danger' at some point, however, if not that is okay because I (personally) am against that phrase. I did something very irrational:
"Fine." I said. "But it will cost you." I never seen a solemn expression changed to a giddy grin so quickly. He told me thank you and that the boys would be gone by morning. I shrugged nonchalantly. Its not like it mattered much to me, anyway. John wouldn't be back till the following sunday. I had a week. Besides, I was eighteen years old and in-was in uni. I would have still been attending if i hadn't gotten the ax- a matter John still was unaware of.
Liam and I stood up and made our way out to the pouring rain and to their car, the other four were already in there. Liam opened the passenger door for me and then jogged around to the right and climed in. And we drove off. I gave directions. In just a few minutes, we were parked in the car port below the apartment building.
I led them up to the second story, fumbling for my keys on the way up the stairs, and the six of us stumbled into my apartment.
"You can set your stuff over there." I told them, pointing to an empty corner. They nodded and did as I said. I switched on a couple lamps and started up a pot of hot water. The five of them stood in the door awkwardly, unsure of what to do with themselves. Louis eyed my Xbox. "You play?" I asked him. Louis shrugged. "Look through the book shelf, find anything you like you can turn it on."
As he did so, I went to my room and stripped of my Blink hoodie. Normally I don't, but I took a glance at my reflection in the mirror. I looked like the annoying little brother, the one that tries to be like his brothers and tries to talk like them- looks good but just hasn't quite gotten there yet because puberty hasn't hit him yet. Well, I am a female. Of course I'm going to be baby-faced.
I shook my head, exited my bedroom to the living room where they're all gathered around the teli. "What are you all playing?"
"You have the newest Fifa?! What esle would I be doing?!" Louis exclaimed. "How in the bloody hell could a girl have this before me?"

Notes